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The genus Fannia is the most representative of the Fannidae family of true flies with worldwide distribution. Some species are attracted to decomposing materials and live vertebrate animals, which makes them important in forensics, medical and veterinary fields. However, identifying Fannia species can be difficult due to the high similarity in the external morphology of females and limited descriptions and morphological keys. Herein, molecular markers could provide a complementary tool for species identification. However, molecular identification has still limited application since databases contain few data for neotropical species of Fannia. This study assessed the potential of two molecular markers, the COI‐3′ region and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), to differentiate 10 putative species of the genus Fannia from Colombia using distance‐based and tree‐based approaches. The partial ITS2 and/or COI‐3′ regions allowed molecular diagnosis of six species, while pairs of species Fannia colazorrensis + F. dodgei and F. laclara + F. aburrae are conflicting. Although these results might suggest that conflicting pair species are conspecific, consistent morphological differences between males do not support this hypothesis. The lack of differentiation at the nuclear and mitochondrial molecular markers for the conflicting species may be due to incomplete evolutionary lineage separation, hybridization, or introgression events. In addition, sexual selection on male morphological traits before species‐specific differences in molecular markers emerge may partially explain the results. Our study provides a valuable dataset to identify and confirm some Fannia species molecularly. Further, they could be used to associate females and immature stages with their conspecifics as a baseline to deep into their biology, ecology, distribution and potential applications in forensic and medico‐veterinary entomology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fanniidae is one of four families in the superfamily Muscoidea (Diptera), including some important medical and hygienic flies. There is a paucity of reports on the ultrastructure of olfactory sensilla for the fanniid species. To provide more information on the morphology of the antennal and palpal sensilla of fanniid fly, Fannia hirticeps (Stein, 1892) has been studied using scanning electron microscopy. The first two antennal segments, scape and pedicel, are covered by microtrichiae and several chaetic sensilla. Six distinct morphological types of sensilla are recorded on the antennal funiculus, including one trichoid, two basiconic, two coeloconic sensilla, and one clavate sensilla. The measurement and density of each sensilla type are also provided. The trichoid sensilla tend to be longer and denser toward the apex of antennal funiculus. Basiconic sensilla spread all over the funicular surface. F. hirticeps bears two types of coeloconic sensilla, type 2 coeloconic sensilla distributed on the distal part of the anterior surface, whereas type 1 distributed on the rest of the funiculus. Clavate sensilla are found on the base of antennal funiculus. Only one large sensory pit is located on the posterior surface. Maxillary palps bear one type of basiconic sensilla. These results are compared with eight other muscid flies. Our findings provide a morphological basis for future investigations on olfactory-mediated behavior of this group. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A revision of the species and families of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae and Stratiomyidae) suitable for forensic purposes in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Morphological characteristics that allow the accurate identification of third instars of the species present in the Iberian Peninsula are described and presented in the form of a diagnostic key. For larval Calliphoridae, characteristics such as the spines of the body segments were useful for the genus Calliphora whereas features of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were useful for larvae of Lucilia. Identification of three Chrysominae species present in the Iberian Peninsula is included. For larval Sarcophagidae, characters such as the arrangement and shape of spiracular openings, structures of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were used for the first time. A new record of Sarcophaga cultellata Pandellé, from a human corpse, is also included as well as recent incursions into the European cadaveric entomofauna such as Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus). This work provides useful new information that could be applied to forensic investigations in the Iberian Peninsula and in southern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic entomology (FE) involves the collection and analysis of necrophagous insects and arthropods for postmortem interval estimation based on their growth and succession. In Japan, research on FE is limited, and the predominant species of necrophagous insects and their distribution have not been clarified. The present study aimed to clarify the actual situation of insects, targeting Diptera collected from human cadavers, in Chiba Prefecture. We targeted the cases for which specimens could be collected from forensic autopsies conducted at the Legal Medicine Department of Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine or from human bodies handled by the Chiba Police in 2019. We specifically chose cases from which adult insects could be bred. Fifty cases were applicable, and 47 cases were successful in rearing adult flies. Sixteen species of Diptera were identified: six species of Calliphoridae, four species of Sarcophagidae, and a few species of Fanniidae, Muscidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae, and Stratiomyidae. The most frequently observed species were Lucilia sericata (20 cases) and Chrysomya pinguis (18 cases). For the first time, globally, we recorded the presence of Fannia prisca in a human cadaver. In conclusion, this is the first report to reveal the presence of carrion flies in human death cases in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Research in FE is important in the context of the Japanese natural and social environment since this can aid forensic investigations conducted by authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field studies in forensic entomology seem to assume that a cadaver is a resource equally accessible to flies, irrespective of the species' size, behavior, and sensorial capacity. We aimed to challenge this assumption by experimentally manipulating baited traps in order to test whether the accessibility to decomposing baits is related to the following: (i) the diversity of necrophagous dipterans; (ii) the body size of adults; and (iii) the female sexual maturity stage. The experiment was performed in a rainforest fragment in Northeastern Brazil, in an area characterized by high levels of homicides. Traps baited with decomposing chicken liver had three levels of access: easy (six openings on the trap), intermediate (three), and difficult (one). A total of 750 adults of Calliphoridae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, Phoridae, and Sarcophagidae were collected. Of the 18 species recorded, Megaselia scalaris was the most abundant (46.8%) followed by Lucilia eximia (29.7%) and Chrysomya megacephala (9.8%). The number of species increased significantly with the accessibility level, but overall abundance did not differ, as a consequence of the numerical dominance of M. scalaris. A strong female bias (>91%) was observed in all traps. For Calliphoridae specimens, 90% of the females caught in traps under intermediate and difficult access were sexually mature. By empirically demonstrating that limitation of access and exclusion of visual stimuli do not deter several dipteran species from reaching a substrate, we expand the knowledge on the factors that can shape the colonization of concealed human cadavers, including variables such as insect size and stage of sexual maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abdominal and pregenital segments and genitalia were studied in males of Zaphne barbiventris (Zetterstedt, 1845) and Delia fabricii (Holmgren, 1872) (Anthomyiidae). The examined species are very similar in the structure of the sclerites and muscles of their terminal segments. Differences between Delia Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830 and Zaphne Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830 were found only in the structure of the pregenital segments and their muscles. Delia has well‐developed and well‐identified tergite VI, while tergite VI of Zaphne is fused in syntergosternite VI + VII + VIII as indicated by the insertion of muscles of ITM 5 running from tergite V. Within members of the muscoid grade, the skeleton and musculature of male terminalia of the Anthomyiidae were similar to that in the subfamily Azeliinae of the Muscidae and the Scathophagidae. The complete set of phallapodeme muscles, as well as the complete set of muscles of the pregenital sclerites and the position of cercal muscles M 26, has shown that the Anthomyiidae have more plesiomorphic character states than other members of the muscoid grade. Descriptions and figures of the terminal sclerites and muscles of Zaphne barbiventris are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of all larval instars of Fannia canicularis (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Fanniidae) is documented using a combination of light and scanning electron microscopy. The following structures are documented for all instars: antennal complex; maxillary palpus; facial mask; cephaloskeleton; ventral organ; anterior spiracle; Keilin's organ; posterior spiracle; fleshy processes, and anal pad. Structures reported for the first time for all instars include: two pairs of lateral prominences on the prothoracic segment; additional ventrolateral prominences on the second thoracic segment, and a papilla at the base of the posterior spiracle. Other structures reported for the first time are anterior spiracles in the first instar and a serrated tip on the mouthhook in the second instar. A trichoid sensillum on the posterior spiracular plate, representing a sensory organ otherwise unknown in the Calyptratae, is described in the second and third instars. Results are discussed and compared with existing knowledge on dipteran larval morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Direct consumption of organic matter by the saprophagous larvae provides the ecosystem with a fundamental service by recycling nutrients and reducing exposure to decomposing matter. The present study aimed to assess the functional role of saprophagous flies in the mass loss of different types of decomposing organic matter. 2. Two types of common urban waste were used to measure the role of flies in reducing organic matter: chicken viscera (chicken) and a mixture of flour and uncooked eggs (flour and eggs), representing leftover food. Ten traps baited with each substrate, under field conditions, allowed fly access (exposed to flies) and three traps from each substrate did not (unexposed controls); adult flies entering the traps or emerging from the substrates and substrate mass loss were recorded. 3. Species from Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, and Fanniidae families were collected mainly in traps baited with chicken, with Phoridae being the most abundant in traps with flour and eggs as bait. A significantly richer (P < 0.05) assemblage of fly species accessed the traps baited with chicken viscera (21 species) compared with those emerging (11 species), whereas similar numbers of species accessed (n = 5) or emerged (n = 1) from traps baited with flour and eggs (average richness accessing 7.97, emerging 2.83). Chicken substrate mass loss and species richness were positively related (r = 0.56, P = 0.001). In traps where richness was larger than 10 species, the substrates were reduced by more than 85% of their initial weight compared with unexposed controls, which lost 30%. Substrate mass loss significantly increased with the abundance of flies (r = 0.73, P < 0.0001). 4. The results of the present study support the functional role of saprophagous species diversity on the decomposition rates of organic matter, reinforcing the negative consequences of loss or gain of species in modified landscapes and for ecosystem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe utility of a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragment of about 1100 bp (including partial COI and COII sequences and tRNALeu) for evolutionary studies in Muscoidea is discussed. The species investigated are Scathophaga stercoraria, Microprosopa pallidicauda and Trichopalpus fraterna (family Scathophagidae), Musca domestica (Muscidae), Lasiomma seminitidum (Anthomyiidae) and Fannia armata (Fanniidae). Comparisons were made with published mtDNA sequences of Drosophila, Anopheles and three Calliphoridae species. The molecular phylogeny obtained here matches the classical morphological taxonomy reasonably well. This varies considerably, however, at different taxonomical levels. At a high taxonomic level, there is a clear separation between the Nematocera and the Brachycera, but the Calyptratae–Acalyptratae division is not always supported. At a lower taxonomic level, all species belonging to the same family are well grouped, but at an intermediate level, within the Calyptratae, it is impossible to clearly separate the Muscoidea and Calliphoridae, preventing a firm conclusion on the phylogenetic relationships among Muscoidea families. The entire COI sequence of S. stercoraria, as well as other mtDNA sequences (including the proximal portions of the COI gene, tRNATrp, tRNACys and tRNATyr genes) in Muscoidea species, are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on Diptera community, seasonality and successional patterns in every geographical region is fundamental for the use of flies as forensic indicators of time of death. In order to obtain these data from the Lisbon area (Portugal), experiments were conducted during the four seasons of the year, using piglet carcasses as animal models. Five stages were recognized during the decomposition process. The stages, besides visually defined, could be separated taking into account the occurrence and abundance of the specific groups of Diptera collected. In general, the bloated stage recorded higher abundance and species-richness values. Seventy-one species were identified, belonging to 39 families, in a total of 20 144 adult Diptera collected. Autumn yielded the highest values of species richness, whereas winter had the lowest. In all seasons of the year, Calliphoridae was the dominant family; Muscidae and Fanniidae were very abundant as well. Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), Lucilia ampullacea Villeneuve, Lucilia caesar (Linnaeus), Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Calliphoridae), Hydrotaea ignava (Harris), Muscina prolapsa (Harris), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) (Muscidae), Piophila megastigmata McAlpine, Stearibia nigriceps (Meigen) (Piophilidae) and Nemopoda nitidula (Fallén) (Sepsidae) were revealed to be very important members of the Diptera community collected. The necrophagous behaviour, demonstrated by their immatures, using carrion as a food source makes them useful forensic indicator species. Also of relevance is the presence of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), S. nudiseta and P. megastigmata, foreign species established in the local carrion communities. This study also marks the first record of S. nudiseta in Portugal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dipteran clade Calyptratae is comprised of approximately 18 000 described species (12% of the known dipteran diversity) and includes well-known taxa such as houseflies, tsetse flies, blowflies and botflies, which have a close association with humans. However, the phylogenetic relationships within this insect radiation are very poorly understood and controversial. Here we propose a higher-level phylogenetic hypothesis for the Calyptratae based on an extensive DNA sequence dataset for 11 noncalyptrate outgroups and 247 calyptrate species representing all commonly accepted families in the Oestroidea and Hippoboscoidea, as well as those of the muscoid grade. DNA sequences for genes in the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b) and nuclear genome [18S, 28S, the carbamoyl phosphate synthetase region of CAD (rudimentary), Elongation factor one alpha] were used to reconstruct the relationships. We discuss problems relating to the alignment and analysis of large datasets and emphasize the advantages of utilizing a guide tree-based approach for the alignment of the DNA sequences and using the leaf stability index to identify 'wildcard' taxa whose excessive instability obscures the phylogenetic signal. Our analyses support the monophyly of the Calyptratae and demonstrate that the superfamily Oestroidea is nested within the muscoid grade. We confirm that the monotypic family Mystacinobiidae is an oestroid and further revise the composition of the Oestroidea by demonstrating that the previously unplaced and still undescribed 'McAlpine's fly' is nested within this superfamily as a probable sister group to Mystacinobiidae. Within the Oestroidea we confirm with molecular data that the Calliphoridae are a paraphyletic grade of lineages. The families Sarcophagidae and Rhiniidae are monophyletic, but support for the monophyly of Tachinidae and Rhinophoridae depends on analytical technique (e.g. parsimony or maximum likelihood). The superfamilies Hippoboscoidea and Oestroidea are consistently found to be monophyletic, and the paraphyly of the muscoid grade is confirmed. In the overall relationships for the calyptrates, the Hippoboscoidea are sister group to the remaining Calyptratae, and the Fanniidae are sister group to the nonhippoboscoid calyptrates, whose relationships can be summarized as (Muscidae (Oestroidea (Scathophagidae, Anthomyiidae))). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the insect species associated with corpse decomposition are particularly important for estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) in forensic science because the PMI is based on the lifecycle and behaviour of necrophagous insects, among other measures. To determine the dipteran succession on pig carrion, four experiments, one in each season, were carried out during 2004 in a rural area of Córdoba, central Argentina. Two pigs ( Sus scrofa L.) were used in each of the four experiments. At each time-point one pig was placed in the shade and the other under direct sunlight. Insects were collected daily during the first 4 weeks and thereafter every 2 or 3 days. Five stages of decomposition were observed and a total of 24 710 adult specimens were collected, belonging to the following eight families of Diptera: Calliphoridae; Muscidae; Sarcophagidae; Phoridae; Piophilidae; Fanniidae; Sphaeroceridae, and Anthomyiidae. All Calliphoridae collected in this study were considered to be of potential forensic importance because of their necrophagous behaviour and because their immature stages use carrion as a food source. Other species, such as Musca domestica L. and Ophyra aenescens (Wiedemann), were also considered to represent potential forensic indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthomyiid fly genus Coenosopsia Malloch contained five species geographically restricted to the forests of the New World, from southern U.S.A. to southeastern Brazil and Paraguay. Two new species are described here from the Brazilian Cerrado: C. ferrari sp.n. and C. michelseni sp.n. Viviparity in C. brasiliensis Michelsen and C. peruviana Michelsen is reported and discussed. A cladistic analysis of the genus was performed using Fannia bahiensis Albuquerque (Fanniidae), Polietina orbitalis (Stein) (Muscidae), Anthomyia pluripunctata (Albuquerque), Delia platura (Meigen) and Phaonantho benevola Couri (Anthomyiidae) as outgroups. The analysis was carried out using three character weighting schemes: equal, successive and implied weighting. In the phylogenetic relationship (( C. ferrari, C. brasiliensis) ( C. peruviana ( C. prima ( C. michelseni ( C. floridensis, C. mexicana))))), two major clades were found, one distributed mainly in southeastern South America and the other from northwestern South America to southern North America. Reconciling the phylogeny with the available distributional data, a biogeographical analysis of the genus is proposed and discussed. The pattern found for Coenosopsia corroborated a previously proposed model of vicariance events for the Neotropical region. Although the presence of anthomyiid fauna in the region was explained previously on the basis of the North-to-South America dispersal, we suggest an alternative hypothesis, that of a Gondwanan origin for the Neotropical anthomyiids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, we explore the interplay of seasonal insect assemblages and carcass weight change to refine the estimation of minimum post‐mortem interval (PMImin), a key variable in forensic investigations. By integrating these parameters, we shed light on their combined influence on decomposition stages, thus paving the way for a more robust method of PMImin estimation. Our approach relies on rigorous field studies examining pig carcasses across spring, summer and autumn, with comprehensive measurements of carcass weight and detailed documentation of insect succession. We observed distinct insect assemblages and weight‐change trends characteristic of each season, underlining the influence of seasonal variability on decomposition dynamics. To further enhance the reliability of our model, we combined the novel parameter of carcass weight change with the conventional total body score (TBS) method, ensuring a more objective assessment of decomposition stages. Although our study indicates promising advancements, it also acknowledges the limitations of using a single pig carcass per season, suggesting future research should incorporate larger sample sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are important pollinators of global food crops and wild plants. The adult and larval diet and habitat needs are well known for many bee taxa, but poorly understood for other pollinating taxa. Non‐bee pollinators often feed on different substrates in their larval and adult life stages, and this diet and habitat diversity has important implications for their conservation and management. We reviewed the global literature on crop pollinating Diptera (the true flies) to identify both larval and adult fly diet and habitat needs. We then assembled the published larval and adult diets and habitat needs of beneficial fly pollinators found globally into a freely accessible database. Of the 405 fly species known to visit global food crops, we found relevant published evidence regarding larval and adult diet and habitat information for 254 species, which inhabited all eight global biogeographic regions. We found the larvae of these species lived in 35 different natural habitats and belong to 10 different feeding guilds. Additionally, differences between adult Diptera sexes also impacted diet needs; females from 14 species across five families fed on protein sources other than pollen to start the reproductive process of oogenesis (egg development) while males of the same species fed exclusively on pollen and nectar. While all adult species fed at least partially on floral nectar and/or pollen, only five species were recorded feeding on pollen and no fly larvae fed on nectar. Of the 242 species of larvae with established diet information, 33% were predators (n = 79) and 30% were detritivores (n = 73). Detritivores were the most generalist taxa and utilized 17 different habitats and 12 different feeding substrates. Of all fly taxa, only 2% belonged to the same feeding guild in both active life stages. Our results show that many floral management schemes may be insufficient to support pollinating Diptera. Pollinator conservation strategies in agroecosystems should consider other non‐floral resources, such as wet organic materials and dung, as habitats for beneficial fly larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burrowing mammals strongly impact plant communities. One of the main effects is accelerating nutrient cycling and thus promoting plant growth. This mechanism is well‐studied in grasslands and alpine habitats, but less is known about this phenomenon in arid, cold mountain environments. We studied ecosystem engineering by long‐tailed marmots (Marmota caudata) by measuring the content of plant nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as nitrogen stable isotopes in plant biomass and marmot feces in a distance gradient up to 20 m from marmot burrows in an extremely arid glacier valley in Eastern Pamir, Tajikistan. We also captured aerial images of the area inhabited by marmots to study the spatial distribution of vegetation. There was a weak relationship between the presence of burrows and vegetation cover on soil not covered by burrow material. Burrow mounds were not colonized by plants, as opposed to other studies, where mounds are often microhabitats that enhance plant diversity. A significant increase in N and P in aboveground green plant biomass in the proximity of burrows was found in one out of six studied plant species. Contrary to our expectations, stable N isotopes did not give further insight into N routing. We assume that plant growth is strongly limited by water availability, which prevents them from utilizing the local increase in nutrients, certainly provided by marmot activity. The results are contrary to numerous studies, which showed that the role of burrowing animals as ecosystem engineers increases with increasing abiotic stress, including aridity. This shows a lack of this type of study at the end of the gradient of abiotic factors. The presence of marmots and their burrows has surprisingly little effect on plant nutrient content and on vegetation cover in an extremely arid, cold mountain habitat. Burrow mounds are no microhabitats, as there is no plant succession on them. The results are contrary to previous studies on the effect size of ecosystem engineering in arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cattle treated with LongRange®, an injectable formulation of the parasiticide eprinomectin, fecally excrete insecticidal residues for an extended period post application. We examined the nontarget effect of these residues by comparing insect communities developing in dung of untreated cattle (week 0) with those developing in dung of cattle treated 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 or 25 weeks previously. Chemical analyses of dung showed that eprinomectin concentrations peaked at 1 week post application and were still detectable at 25 weeks. Results from two separate experiments showed that dung of untreated cattle supported more total insects (beetles, flies, parasitoid wasps) and insect species than did dung of cattle treated for ≤12 weeks (Experiment 1) and ≤25 weeks (Experiment 2) previously. For the two experiments, an effect of residue on individual taxa was either not detected (nine cases) or was determined to suppress insect development in dung of cattle treated for 8–12 weeks (two cases), 12–16 weeks (three cases), 16–20 weeks (two cases), or 24 or 25 weeks (six cases) previously. Flies and their parasitoid wasps were particularly sensitive to residues with suppression often at or near 100%. These results show that cattle treated with LongRange in spring will fecally excrete residues for the entire grazing season with an associated simplification of the dung insect community. The effect of this simplification on the long‐term health on dung‐breeding populations of insects on pastures and dung degradation was not examined in the present study, but merits future research. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:684–697. © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry © 2023 SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions among fungi and insects involve hundreds of thousands of species. While insect communities on plants have formed some of the classic model systems in ecology, fungus‐based communities and the forces structuring them remain poorly studied by comparison. We characterize the arthropod communities associated with fruiting bodies of eight mycorrhizal basidiomycete fungus species from three different orders along a 1200‐km latitudinal gradient in northern Europe. We hypothesized that, matching the pattern seen for most insect taxa on plants, we would observe a general decrease in fungal‐associated species with latitude. Against this backdrop, we expected local communities to be structured by host identity and phylogeny, with more closely related fungal species sharing more similar communities of associated organisms. As a more unique dimension added by the ephemeral nature of fungal fruiting bodies, we expected further imprints generated by successional change, with younger fruiting bodies harboring communities different from older ones. Using DNA metabarcoding to identify arthropod communities from fungal fruiting bodies, we found that latitude left a clear imprint on fungus‐associated arthropod community composition, with host phylogeny and decay stage of fruiting bodies leaving lesser but still‐detectable effects. The main latitudinal imprint was on a high arthropod species turnover, with no detectable pattern in overall species richness. Overall, these findings paint a new picture of the drivers of fungus‐associated arthropod communities, suggesting that latitude will not affect how many arthropod species inhabit a fruiting body but, rather, what species will occur in it and at what relative abundances (as measured by sequence read counts). These patterns upset simplistic predictions regarding latitudinal gradients in species richness and in the strength of biotic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrion flies are trapped to study their succession pattern and record their diversity or establish laboratory colonies for various purposes. They are typically collected manually, which is not only challenging and time‐consuming, but may also result in incomplete or biased inventories. Passive trapping techniques commonly used damage the specimens and make them difficult to identify.We describe the construction of a trap to capture sarcosaprophagous Diptera alive. We tested six traps using six rabbit carcasses (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) per trial over 1 year and recorded the diversity and succession of insects. We also established fly colonies of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) adults using captured individuals.A total of 27,428 insects (i.e., 8669 specimens in spring, 7969 specimens in summer, 8417 specimens in autumn and 2373 specimens in winter) belonging to 21 families and 43 species were collected over a period of 23, 19, 24 and 30 days in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. The catch consisted mainly of the order Diptera (98.55%), but also Hymenoptera (1.45%). We successfully started a fly colony with 107 individuals in spring and added wild‐type adults every season. The colonies were maintained for 1 year, during which the lifespan of the adult flies varied between 5 and 52 days.The device is easy to manufacture, low‐cost, robust under field conditions, efficient and time‐saving. It enables large samples to be collected within a short period of time over the entire trial period without affecting its condition or performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated Japanese pear varieties, mostly showing self‐incompatibility, require pollen transfer from other varieties. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of open Japanese pear insect pollination, we first collected flower‐visiting insects using plastic vials and sticky traps in orchards located at different regions in Japan. Results showed that insects assigned to the families Andrenidae (Hymenoptera), Apidae (Hymenoptera), Halictidae (Hymenoptera), Syrphidae (Diptera) and Empididae (Diptera) are abundant in the orchards. Second, we restricted the flower‐visiting insects to access Japanese pear flowers using bags with mesh sizes of 0, 2 and 3.5 mm. Results indicated that insects which allowed to pass through bags with 3.5‐mm mesh size but not through bags with 2‐mm mesh size contribute primarily to pollination, represented as the fruit‐set ratio and seed number. Third, we measured head and thorax widths of the flower‐visiting insects and counted pollen grains on their body surfaces to estimate their pollination potential. Results indicated that insects assigned to the families Andrenidae, Halictidae, Syrphidae, Bibionidae (Diptera) and Muscidae (Diptera), including species with both widths smaller than 3.5 mm, harbour large quantities of Pyrus pollen grains, in addition to Apis mellifera (Apidae) with both widths greater than 3.5 mm. Consequently, the families Andrenidae, Apidae, Halictidae and Syrphidae might be the most important insect families for Japanese pear pollination. However, species identification of the flower‐visiting insects showed no common key species that contribute remarkably to pollination services other than A. mellifera. Consecutive insect collection using plastic vials and sticky traps demonstrated that compositions of the flower‐visiting insects are fluctuating continuously in the orchards. Nevertheless, year‐to‐year fluctuation of the fruit‐set ratio was less pronounced in open‐pollinated orchards than in hand‐pollinated orchards. These results suggest that mutual complementation among diverse pollinator species might be the mechanism underlying open Japanese pear insect pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Succession patterns spanning three seasons for insect fauna on pig cadavers were studied in Changwon, South Korea in 2018 and 2019. A total of 107 species belonging to 41 families in six orders were collected and identified. Four decomposition stages were recognized: fresh, bloated, decay, and dry. The number of species increased significantly after the fresh stage and reached the maximum number by the decay stage. The sequence of insect succession followed a general pattern in which Diptera peaked initially and Coleoptera peaked later. Chrysomya pinguis was the most frequently present species, and the timing of its different developmental stages on cadavers could be the most important indicator for post‐mortem interval estimations in Changwon. Spatial and seasonal differences in the richness of insects were not significant. However, Calliphora nigribarbis occurred exclusively in spring and autumn, and Pheropsophus javanus occurred exclusively in one locality. Therefore, these species may be important for characterizing the different seasons or locations during post‐mortem interval estimations. A list of the insects associated with above‐ground pig cadavers during the three seasons was compiled, and it may be useful for estimating the time since death in areas with a similar bioclimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there have been no studies on necrophagous fly populations on Hainan Island in China. Thus, we investigated the species composition of necrophagous flies as well as their geographic distribution on Hainan Island for the first time. Ten sites in different climatic regions across the island were sampled for 7 days per location from November 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019 and from July 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019. Bottle traps made of 1.5 L soft plastic bottles were used to trap necrophagous flies. The collected individuals were identified to species. The specimens represented 5 families and 28 species. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) was the most dominant species, followed by Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart, 1843), Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann, 1830), Boettcherisca peregrine (Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830), Parasarcophaga dux (Thomson, 1868), Parasarcophaga misera (Walker, 1849), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp, 1883), and Ophyra chalcogaster (Wiedemann, 1924). The largest collection of flies was obtained in the semiarid region. Species richness was highest in the subhumid region and was higher in summer than in winter, but there were exceptions, such as L. hainanensis (Fan,1965), Boettcherisca formosensis (Lopes, 1961), and Muscina stabulans (Fallen, 1817). Fannia pusio (Wiedemann, 1830), and Boettcherisca formosensis (Lopes, 1961) were newly recorded species on Hainan Island. Of the necrophagous flies collected during the study, we propose several predominant species based on the criteria of distribution, occurrence frequency, and resource preference. Our results not only investigate necrophagous flies on Hainan Island but also accumulate data for criminal investigations in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decomposition of human remains is a complex process impacted by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. A less‐studied extrinsic factor in forensic taphonomy are the scavengers that consume soft and hard tissue. Scavengers physically degrade and remove soft tissue, disperse, and destroy skeletal elements, which can make locating remains challenging. While invertebrate activity has been largely investigated, there is limited quantitative data available on vertebrate activity, particularly in Canada. This study aimed to determine which species (vertebrate and invertebrate) belong to the scavenger guilds in southern Quebec, and their potential taphonomic impact on the decomposition process. Two independent trials were conducted in 2020 using pig carcasses: one during summer in a forest habitat and one during fall in a grassland habitat. Each carcass was placed a minimum 100 m apart in semi‐rural land. Vertebrate scavenger activity was recorded by continuous surveillance using trail cameras. Carcasses were also regularly visited to monitor the decomposition process and the activity of invertebrate scavengers. Overall, the vertebrate scavenger guilds included a narrow range of corvids, turkey vultures, coyotes, and skunks. The intensity of vertebrate scavengers was greater in the grassland habitat (fall), while the intensity of invertebrate scavengers was greater in the forest habitat (summer). With the exception of invertebrate scavengers, very few species visited during the fresh stage of decomposition, and the probability of body displacement increased as decomposition progressed. These results identify which scavengers have the greatest taphonomic impact and highlight the importance of incorporating scavenger impact when searching for human remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The house fly, Musca domestica L., and the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are important and harmful organisms. The cosmopolitan house fly is not parasitic, but the adults are annoying and a known vector of several pathogens. The importance of the stable fly has increased in Brazil in the last 40 years, after major changes in sugarcane cultivation practices were implemented, including the widespread application of vinasse (byproduct in sugarcane mills) and the parallel reduction of sugarcane preharvest burning. These changes have favored the development of this fly, which can reach high populations, that can negatively affect cattle and other animals. The control of these flies relies heavily on the use of chemical products, which very often do not provide adequate population reduction. Predatory mites of the family Macrochelidae have been evaluated under laboratory conditions for the biological control of these organisms, especially of the house fly. The objective of this study was to examine the predation capacity of the macrochelids Macrocheles embersoni Azevedo, Castilho & Berto and Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli) on the house fly and the stable fly, under semi‐field conditions (screen‐houses). RESULTS: Reductions of 83 to 90% of the house fly and 66 to 73% of the stable fly populations were observed, with the release of 100 of these predators per square meter. CONCLUSIONS: The number of adults of both fly species was much lower in the units where the predators had been released than in the others. However it is suggested that provisioning and or conserving alternative food sources for these macrochelids, such as free‐living nematodes, could further improve biocontrol efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally rising atmosphere CO2 has been predicted to affect the emission of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the interaction with insect herbivores. CO2‐mediated plant VOCs change might contribute to develop effective management strategies for insect pests by using VOCs related biological control methods. In this study, we analysed the effect of elevated CO2 on the host‐selection behaviour of western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and studied how they were affected by the release of VOCs from kidney bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris). A four‐chamber olfactometer was used to quantify the host‐selection of F. occidentalis for P. vulgaris. Elevated CO2 increased F. occidentalis' selection for P. vulgaris wounded by mechanical damage (MD) and thrips infestation (TI) that might via regulating the gene expression of CSP1, CSP1‐q, OBP1 and OBP1‐q in F. occidentalis. Besides, we cultivated kidney beans at ambient CO2 (400 ppm) and elevated CO2 (800 ppm), and quantified the emission of plant VOCs by using GC‐MS. Thirty VOCs belonging to ten chemical groups were identified from P. vulgaris, including aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers, alkanes, cycloalkanes, alcohols, alkenes, aromatic derivatives, phenols, ketones and esters. Furthermore, six VOCs from P. vulgaris were significantly affected by CO2 level, wounding way and the interaction between them, including ethyl benzene, 1,3‐dimethyl benzene, 1,3‐dimethyl‐4‐ethyl benzene, (E,E,E,E)‐squalene, 2,6‐ditert‐butyl‐4‐methyl phenol and dioctyl phthalate. Our study indicates that elevated CO2 might increase the host‐selection of F. occidentalis for wounded P. vulgaris due to the changed plant VOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in domestic pig farms in Lithuania typically begin in June and are detected through October, suggesting that insects might be involved in the transmission of the virus. Entomological collecting was performed to obtain two data sets: from farms with ASF outbreaks, and from farms without ASF outbreaks but in an ASF‐infected area. Target insects from the families Muscidae, Calliphoridae and Tabanidae were analysed for the presence of ASF Virus (ASFV) DNA. Musca domestica L., Calliphoridae flies and Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) collected by entomological net during ASF outbreaks were confirmed to be ASFV positive. Viral DNA detected in insects collected by Nzi traps from farms with no ASFV outbreaks indicate that Culex, Lucilia, M. domestica and S. calcitrans are likely to play a role in spreading the ASFV mechanically. This finding could suggest contamination from outside of the farms: from infected wild boar or their carcasses. The role of Stomoxys flies as mechanical vectors could be accidental, because we did not find a significant correlation between the activity of S. calcitrans and the number of ASF outbreaks in pig farms, whereas temperatures positively correlated to the number of ASF outbreaks during 2018–2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of forensic entomology has grown exponentially within the last 50 years. While research in this discipline is conducted globally, the United States in particular has produced a significant amount of work relevant to forensic entomology. The Pacific region of the United States, characterized to include Hawai'i, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and the islands of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, has produced a broad array of such studies. Works of interest include surveys of forensically important insects, studies on carrion decomposition and insect succession, studies on the developmental rate of sarcosaprophagous insects, molecular studies to detect differences between geographically distant populations of the same species, studies on the microbial makeup of carrion and carrion‐feeding insects, entomotoxicological research, decomposition communities in aquatic environments, and case reports detailing insects recovered from death investigations as well as myiasis of livestock and humans. This review will outline research that originates from each of the aforementioned regions and review the results, while identifying knowledge gaps, and providing recommended areas of improvement to further increase diversity of forensic entomology research in the Pacific region. This article is categorized under:Forensic Anthropology > Time Since Death EstimationForensic Biology > Forensic Entomology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive review of forensic entomology literature in the northeastern portion of the United States was conducted searching the earliest possible publication date through early 2020. Thirteen states and the capital were included in this region and yielded 172 publications. As a region, the main areas of the publications were arrival and decomposition, myiasis, and papers yielding information pertaining to biodiversity. However, there was a large fluctuation in total publications by state with Maryland producing over 30 publications, and Delaware and Vermont each producing one. Within this region only 15 publications from seven states were found concerning development, showing a severe deficiency in this category. Additional work is needed in this geographic area of the United States in most categories of work related to forensic entomology research. This article is categorized under:Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological EvidenceForensic Anthropology > Time Since Death EstimationCrime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene Examination [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscidae are a megadiverse dipteran family that exhibits extraordinary diversity in morphology and life history as both immatures and adults. The classification of Muscidae has been long debated, and most higher‐level relationships remain unknown. In this study, we used multilocus Sanger sequencing (mS‐seq), anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) and restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) approaches to examine relationships within Muscidae. The results from AHE and RAD‐seq largely correspond to those obtained from mS‐seq in terms of overall topology, yet phylogenomic approaches received much higher nodal support. The results from all molecular approaches contradict the traditional classification based predominantly on adult morphology, but provide an opportunity to re‐interpret the morphology of immature stages. Rearrangements in Muscidae classification are proposed as follows: (i) Mesembrina Meigen and Polietes Rondani are transferred from Muscinae to Azeliinae; (ii) Reinwardtiinae stat. rev. is resurrected as a subfamily distinct from Azeliinae; (iii) Eginia Robineau‐Desvoidy, Neohelina Malloch, Syngamoptera Schnabl and Xenotachina Malloch are transferred to Reinwardtiinae stat. rev. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Morphological evidence from the adults males, females corroborates the recent transfer of the problematic New World genus Coenosopsia from the Muscidae to the Anthomyiidae. It is argued that the calyptrate families Anthomyiidae and Muscidae are sister­groups, and that a Neotropical anthomyiid clade, Coenosopsia Malloch + Phaonantho Albuquerque, constitutes the sister-group of the remaining Anthomyiidae. At present, this clade is largely confined to tropical forests of South and Central America, i.e. an environment avoided by practically all other members of this pronouncedly cold-adapted, boreal family. The first, earliest Coenozoic, biotic exchange between North and South America and subsequent biotic isolation are proposed to lie behind the primary dichotomy of the Anthomyiidae. Five species of Coenosopsia, with apparently perfectly allopatric ranges, are recog nized: the Neotropical C.prima Malloch from Ecuador to SE Mexico, C.peruviana sp.n. from Peru, C.brasiliensis sp.n. from Brazil, and C.mexicana sp.n. from SW Mexico, and the Nearctic C.floridensis sp.n. from N Mexico and SE United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diverse superfamily Oestroidea with more than 15 000 known species includes among others blow flies, flesh flies, bot flies and the diverse tachinid flies. Oestroidea exhibit strikingly divergent morphological and ecological traits, but even with a variety of data sources and inferences there is no consensus on the relationships among major Oestroidea lineages. Phylogenomic inferences derived from targeted enrichment of ultraconserved elements or UCEs have emerged as a promising method for resolving difficult phylogenetic problems at varying timescales. To reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among families of Oestroidea, we obtained UCE loci exclusively derived from the transcribed portion of the genome, making them suitable for larger and more integrative phylogenomic studies using other genomic and transcriptomic resources. We analysed datasets containing 37–2077 UCE loci from 98 representatives of all oestroid families (except Ulurumyiidae and Mystacinobiidae) and seven calyptrate outgroups, with a total concatenated aligned length between 10 and 550 Mb. About 35% of the sampled taxa consisted of museum specimens (2–92 years old), of which 85% resulted in successful UCE enrichment. Our maximum likelihood and coalescent‐based analyses produced well‐resolved and highly supported topologies. With the exception of Calliphoridae and Oestridae all included families were recovered as monophyletic with the following conclusions: Oestroidea is monophyletic with Mesembrinellidae as sister to the remaining oestroid families; Oestridae is paraphyletic with respect to Sarcophagidae; Polleniidae is sister to Tachinidae; Rhinophoridae sister to (Luciliinae (Toxotarsinae (Melanomyinae + Calliphorinae))); Phumosiinae is sister to Chrysomyinae and Bengaliinae is sister to Rhiniidae. These results support the ranking of most calliphorid subfamilies as separate families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the impact of various treatments of rabbit carcasses on post mortem insect colonization and weight loss. A statistically accurate time for the change in carcass weight and insect access time was determined using time series analysis depending on different carcass treatments that determined insect access. The decomposition stage was relatively short. Fifteen freshly killed white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) weighing between 2.5 kg and 4.5 kg were used as animal models in this study. Three carcasses were treated in each of five ways: normal, burnt, wrapped, hung, and immersed. A total of thirteen insect species were attracted to normal, burnt, and hung carcasses. Insects were not collected from sealed and immersed carcasses. The normal and burnt carcasses had a higher number of species and abundance compared to hung carcasses. The present study found no difference in insect colonization in normal and burnt carcasses. The determination of the weight of remaining carcass was clearly divided into the insect‐accessible (i.e., normal, burnt, and hung carcasses) and insect‐inaccessible carcasses (i.e., sealed and immersed carcasses), although no difference was found in the decrease in the rate of the remaining carcass in insect‐inaccessible carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black soldier fly [BSF; Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)] larvae are very effective in transforming low‐grade food waste into valuable high‐end proteins and fat, in intensive production facilities. The production output of this species is growing quickly, but upscaling brings risks to the health status of the reared insects. Until now, not a single major case of disease outbreak caused by a pathogen in a BSF production unit has been reported. This contrasts with data on other species of mass‐produced insects, which have experienced various disease outbreaks, indicating that BSFs are comparatively resistant to insect diseases. Further, there are no records of natural infections caused by entomopathogens in BSF. In this review, the known entomopathogens of Diptera, especially BSF, and their potential risks for causing disease in these insects are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The housefly family Muscidae originated during the Paleocene–Eocene and is currently distributed worldwide. We investigated how muscid genera have assembled in the continents by historical dispersal events. Location: Global (except Antarctica). Taxon: Muscidae, Diptera, Insecta. Methods: We compiled a dataset of 181 species, which provided geographic information for 67 genera as terminals. Phylogenetic and geographic data were fitted by five dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis models based on dispersal constraints. Based on the event inferences of the best‐fit model, we quantified the direction and frequency of dispersals through time in absolute numbers and in relation to the number of lineages. Results: The best‐fit model was 'unrestricted routes', which inferred 48 events of dispersals: 66% were trans‐climatic events and 81% were transoceanic events. The direction of the dispersals was strongly asymmetric: the Neotropical (NEO) region was the primary source of lineages for all other regions and the Palearctic (PAL) was the secondary source. The relative frequency of dispersal events through time plot was marked by three phases: the early peak of the frequency (40–35 million years ago [Ma]), a valley of low frequencies (30–20 Ma), and the recent peak (15–5 Ma). Trans‐climatic dispersals from the NEO to the PAL region occurred in all phases. Lineages of the Cyrtoneurininae showed a low frequency of dispersal events and most of the terminals (11 of 15) were endemic to the NEO region. Conclusion: The Muscidae family originated in the Neotropical region and more recent dispersal events to the Palearctic region established the scenario for lineages to diversify and spread worldwide. Trans‐climatic dispersals were more frequent than cis‐events and tropical niche conservatism was not the underlying mechanism for the whole clade. We showed that dispersal events between biogeographic regions of the same and different climatic zones were required to achieve the current distribution of extant genera of muscids across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcophagidae is one of the most species‐rich families within the superfamily Oestroidea. This diversity is usually represented by three lineages: Miltogramminae, Paramacronychiinae and Sarcophaginae. Historically, the phylogenetic relationships among these lineages have been elusive, due to poorly supported hypotheses or small taxon sets, or both. This study provides a dramatic increase in molecular data, more balanced sampling of all three lineages from all biogeographical regions and a reassessment of morphological characters using scanning electron microscopy in the most comprehensive assessment of subfamily‐level phylogeny in Sarcophagidae to date. This analysis of the largest molecular dataset ever produced for a phylogenetic analysis of a fly lineage, with 950 loci from anchored hybrid enrichment comprising 435 930 bp from 101 species, revealed Paramacronychiinae as sister to Miltogramminae, not to Sarcophaginae, as suggested by adult morphology. Maximum likelihood analysis produced a well‐supported topology, with 91% of the nodes receiving strong bootstrap proportions (> 97%). In contrast to the molecular data, three out of nine morphological characters studied point to a sister‐group relationship of (Sarcophaginae + Paramacronychiinae) and the remaining six characters are either silent on subfamily relationships or in need of further study. Re‐examination of morphological structures provides new insights into the evolution of male genitalic traits within Sarcophagidae and highlights their convergence producing conflicting phylogenetic signal. Our phylogeny reconciles older and widely used systems of classification with tree‐based thinking and sets up a classification of flesh flies that is more aligned with their evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deer keds (Lipoptena spp.) are blood‐sucking ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals, and also accidentally of humans. In Europe, five Lipoptena spp. have been recorded, although the lack of specific taxonomic keys has often led to mistaken identification or to missing data. The present study aimed to develop an identification key of the European species and also to identify Lipoptena spp. found on wild ungulates in northern Italy. In total, 390 hippoboscids were collected from Rupicapra rupicapra, Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus and Ovis aries musimon in an Alpine area of Italy. After morphological identification, 140 specimens were subjected to phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial (CO1) and nuclear (CAD) gene sequences. Despite the expected presence of slight morphological variations, all specimens examined were identified both microscopically and molecularly as Lipoptena cervi (100% identity for both CO1 and CAD genes). The massive increase in wild ungulate populations can favour the possibility of detecting other species of Lipoptena. The identification keys proposed in the present study may help with monitoring the presence of Lipoptena species, particularly in European countries where this ectoparasite is neglected and for which various data (from diffusion to control methods) are still missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Calyptratae, one of the most species‐rich fly clades, only originated and diversified after the Cretaceous–Palaeogene extinction event and yet exhibit high species diversity and a diverse array of life history strategies including predation, phytophagy, saprophagy, haematophagy and parasitism. We present the first phylogenomic analysis of calyptrate relationships. The analysis is based on 40 species representing all calyptrate families and on nucleotide and amino acid data for 1456 single‐copy protein‐coding genes obtained from shotgun sequencing of transcriptomes. Topologies are overall well resolved, robust and largely congruent across trees obtained with different approaches (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, coalescent‐based species tree, four‐cluster likelihood mapping). Many nodes have 100% bootstrap and jackknife support, but the true support varies by more than one order of magnitude [Bremer support from 3 to 3427; random addition concatenation analysis (RADICAL) gene concatenation size from 10 to 1456]. Analyses of a Dayhoff‐6 recoded amino acid dataset also support the robustness of many clades. The backbone topology Hippoboscoidea+(Fanniidae+(Muscidae+((Anthomyiidae–Scathophagidae)+Oestroidea))) is strongly supported and most families are monophyletic (exceptions: Anthomyiidae and Calliphoridae). The monotypic Ulurumyiidae is either alone or together with Mesembrinellidae as the sister group to the rest of Oestroidea. The Sarcophagidae are sister to Mystacinobiidae+Oestridae. Polleniinae emerge as sister group to Tachinidae and the monophyly of the clade Calliphorinae+Luciliinae is well supported, but the phylogenomic data cannot confidently place the remaining blowfly subfamilies (Helicoboscinae, Ameniinae, Chrysomyinae). Compared to hypotheses from the Sanger sequencing era, many clades within the muscoid grade are congruent but now have much higher support. Within much of Oestroidea, Sanger era and phylogenomic data struggle equally with regard to finding well‐supported hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The housefly, Musca domestica L. (Dipetera: Muscidae) transmits disease, contaminates laboratories, hospitals, equipment and can be annoying to people and animals. They are considered a serious urban pest worldwide. An important tool used to control houseflies is baiting. This study was undertaken to review the preference of housefly for different colored baits. Various colored baits were prepared and evaluated under laboratory conditions. These were colored blue, white, yellow, red, purple and green. Among the different colored baits used, the blue bait was preferred the most by the houseflies, followed by the white and yellow baits, and the red, purple and green baits were least attractive to the houseflies. Similarly, the blue bait was detected faster by the houseflies and was consumed significantly more than the red, purple or green baits. Also, the blue bait attracted a significantly higher number of flies than the red, purple and green baits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study summarizes results of a DNA barcoding campaign on German Diptera, involving analysis of 45,040 specimens. The resultant DNA barcode library includes records for 2,453 named species comprising a total of 5,200 barcode index numbers (BINs), including 2,700 COI haplotype clusters without species‐level assignment, so called "dark taxa." Overall, 88 out of 117 families (75%) recorded from Germany were covered, representing more than 50% of the 9,544 known species of German Diptera. Until now, most of these families, especially the most diverse, have been taxonomically inaccessible. By contrast, within a few years this study provided an intermediate taxonomic system for half of the German Dipteran fauna, which will provide a useful foundation for subsequent detailed, integrative taxonomic studies. Using DNA extracts derived from bulk collections made by Malaise traps, we further demonstrate that species delineation using BINs and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) constitutes an effective method for biodiversity studies using DNA metabarcoding. As the reference libraries continue to grow, and gaps in the species catalogue are filled, BIN lists assembled by metabarcoding will provide greater taxonomic resolution. The present study has three main goals: (a) to provide a DNA barcode library for 5,200 BINs of Diptera; (b) to demonstrate, based on the example of bulk extractions from a Malaise trap experiment, that DNA barcode clusters, labelled with globally unique identifiers (such as OTUs and/or BINs), provide a pragmatic, accurate solution to the "taxonomic impediment"; and (c) to demonstrate that interim names based on BINs and OTUs obtained through metabarcoding provide an effective method for studies on species‐rich groups that are usually neglected in biodiversity research projects because of their unresolved taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to understand the interactions between orchids and their herbivores, especially considering the rarity of most orchids and the potential negative effects of pests on orchid reproduction. Here, we report the infestation of leaves of Cephalanthera spp. orchids by Parallelomma vittatum (Scathophagidae) in Japan. The present study represents the first report of P. vittatum on orchid hosts in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the years, DNA barcoding has gained in importance in forensic entomology as it leads to fast and reliable species determination. High‐quality results, however, can only be achieved with a comprehensive DNA barcode reference database at hand. In collaboration with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, we have initiated at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology the establishment of a reference library containing arthropods of potential forensic relevance to be used for DNA barcoding applications. CO1‐5P' DNA barcode sequences of hundreds of arthropods were obtained via DNA extraction, PCR and Sanger Sequencing, leading to the establishment of a database containing 502 high‐quality sequences which provide coverage for 88 arthropod species. Furthermore, we demonstrate an application example of this library using it as a backbone to a high throughput sequencing analysis of arthropod bulk samples collected from human corpses, which enabled the identification of 31 different arthropod Barcode Index Numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysing the structure and dynamics of biotic interaction networks and the processes shaping them is currently one of the key fields in ecology. In this paper, we develop a novel approach to gut content analysis, thereby deriving a new perspective on community interactions and their responses to environment. For this, we use an elevational gradient in the High Arctic, asking how the environment and species traits interact in shaping predator–prey interactions involving the wolf spider Pardosa glacialis. To characterize the community of potential prey available to this predator, we used pitfall trapping and vacuum sampling. To characterize the prey actually consumed, we applied molecular gut content analysis. Using joint species distribution models, we found elevation and vegetation mass to explain the most variance in the composition of the prey community locally available. However, such environmental variables had only a small effect on the prey community found in the spider's gut. These observations indicate that Pardosa exerts selective feeding on particular taxa irrespective of environmental constraints. By directly modelling the probability of predation based on gut content data, we found that neither trait matching in terms of predator and prey body size nor phylogenetic or environmental constraints modified interaction probability. Our results indicate that taxonomic identity may be more important for predator–prey interactions than environmental constraints or prey traits. The impact of environmental change on predator–prey interactions thus appears to be indirect and mediated by its imprint on the community of available prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in diet can explain resource partitioning in apparently similar, sympatric species. Here, we analyzed 1,252 fecal droppings from five species (Eptesicus nilssonii, Myotis brandtii, M. daubentonii, M. mystacinus, and Plecotus auritus) to reveal their dietary niches using fecal DNA metabarcoding. We identified nearly 550 prey species in 13 arthropod orders. Two main orders (Diptera and Lepidoptera) formed the majority of the diet for all species, constituting roughly 80%–90% of the diet. All five species had different dietary assemblages. We also found significant differences in the size of prey species between the bat species. Our results on diet composition remain mostly unchanged when using either read counts as a proxy for quantitative diet or presence–absence data, indicating a strong biological pattern. We conclude that although bats share major components in their ecology (nocturnal life style, insectivory, and echolocation), species differ in feeding behavior, suggesting bats may have distinctive evolutionary strategies. Diet analysis helps illuminate life history traits of various species, adding to sparse ecological knowledge, which can be utilized in conservation planning. Differences in diet can explain resource partitioning in sympatric species. We analyzed dietary data from five boreal bat species and revealed 550 prey items. We found significant differences in the diet, suggesting bats use different evolutionary strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]